Monthly Archives: April 2022

Every week, Oprah is setting an intention exclusively for Oprah Insiders, with reflections on topics like letting go, forgiveness, coming into your own, and more. Visit the page with this weeks video on Being Fully Present every day this week for a new dose of inspiration.

Living in the moment isnt always just about you! If youre going to engage with someone else, its a good idea to make sure they can be fully present, too. Here, Gayle King shares the simple questions she uses to make sure anyone she strikes up a conversation with is able to give their full attention.

Id like to think that I am able to be fully present a majority of the time. Im not a scatter-brained kind of person, so its not hard for me to be and stay in the moment.

Though I will say that sometimes you just want a moment for yourself and someone who you didnt invite in comes up to you and starts talking. At those times, it can be tough to be fully present.

I remember being on a plane once and the man next to me just started talking. Ill be honest, I did not want to engage. For the first few minutes, I did my best to stay fully present and listen to him. But after a while, I started checking my phone and doing other things. He actually told me I was being rude! But I hadn't asked to participate in that conversation. In hindsight, I suppose I could have let him know that I needed to devote my attention to other things.

That encounter actually made me more mindful in my everyday encounters. If youre talking to someone else, its not just about whether or not you have the space to be fully present in that conversationits about whether they do, too.

Now, before I start a conversation, I will say, Do you have a minute? or Is now a good time? Ill do this if I am calling someone who isnt expecting my call or if I approach someone without warning.

Weve all had those moments when we call someone and just launch into a conversation and they have to say, Actually, can I call you backIm on another call! You instantly feel bad because you didnt even think to check if they had the time and energy to devote to you.

So I think its always a good idea to give someone the opportunity to decide if they have the time and energy to devote to you and be fully present. When youre able to do that and youre both able to decide you have that time and energy, your conversation is going to be much more enjoyable.

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Wednesday Inspiration: This Golden Rule of Conversation Is the Key to Better Connection - Oprah Mag

Today, the number of hospital beds available is seen as a parameter for urbanisation and economic growth. In reality, it should be the other way around. The ultimate healthcare goal should be to eradicate the need for hospitals! Today people spend half of their health in earning wealth and then spend all of their wealth in regaining their lost health. And we consider this a sign of progress.

Earlier, there was no CT scan, no MRI, yet the benchmarks were much higher. People lived longer, they were healthier and more importantly they were happier.

We need to look at urban healthcare in a holistic manner. Just creating healthcare infrastructure will not build a healthy society. Today, there is hatred in society, there is greed, fear and because of this depression and stress has set in. Stress is one of the biggest causes of urban health problems. It is appalling to hear that in the coming decades depression will be one of the leading cause of illnesses in the world.

So what does it exactly mean to be healthy? The sign of not being healthy is if you are feeling rough inside; if your mind is stiff and not calm, you are not mentally healthy. When your emotions are rough, you are emotionally unhealthy.

One has to be mentally calm, steady and emotionally soft, to attain a perfect state of health. In today's fast-paced life,this is not an easy state to attain. We have heard about dental hygiene, physical hygiene but we have forgotten the most important of all and that is mental hygiene. Mental well-being is improved perception, improved observation and improved expression. Our mind is like a container. We are simply dumping things into it and not attending to its cleanliness thus accumulating stress and in-turn ruining our health.

Stress levels can be managed in two ways. One, we can cut down our mental and physical workload. That seems quite impossible. Alternatively, we can increase our energy level. Mind-body activities such as breathing techniques, meditation and yoga work wonders in keeping our energy or prana level high.

Yoga is a very simple way to keep our system free from stress. Practice of yoga can help one to live in the present moment, release the tensions and negative emotions. In this age of technology, we care very little for our emotional and spiritual needs. Neither at home nor in school, do we learn how to release negative emotions. Yoga and meditation can help one get rid of it.

Meditation is food for our soul and it brings forth inner wealth. Meditation removes fixed and preconceived impressions and removes the stresses of day-to-day living. It is hundred times more refreshing than sleep because it helps you live in the present moment and frees you from anger of the past and worry of the future.Practices such as yoga, pranayama and meditation not only give you physical but also mental and emotional health and this is true wealth.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is the founder of the Art of Living Foundation, which offers a Happiness Programme, among others

Originally posted here:

The golden rule to stay healthy is this - India Today

In a world full of negativity, sometimes its challenging to take the high road.

There are definitely members in our community of Summit County who need lessons in manners, ethical behavior and the golden rule: treat others how you wish to be treated.

The online community of Facebook, specifically One Mans Junk Summit County, is a cesspool of negativity and bullying. During my campaign for Breckenridge Town Council, I received hateful emails and direct messages, as well as experienced online bullying, even from people who preach inclusivity. The irony isnt lost on me.

Facebook is to blame by allowing individuals to hide behind aliases such as Schmoknow Joe and Locals First.

Schmoknow Joe is a well-known online troll. He posted lies about me online going so far as to assert that I dont live in Summit County, a claim which is patently false.

Locals First posted negative comments on my Facebook page, and when I made an invitation to sit down face-to-face to discuss their concerns, they declined.

Another Facebook user, whose wife is on the school board, also bullied me online. I truly hope theyre not teaching this kind of behavior to their children.

Im a person who believes in carrying out civil dialogue with people whom we may disagree with. Its alarming to me how many people are seemingly incapable of treating other humans with respect. Has our society devolved to a point where we can no longer communicate like adults in a civil manner?

Instead, I have grown men bullying me on Facebook.

I read recently that Summit County plans to sever ties with Mind Springs Health, but perhaps we need to invest more with this important organization, because it would appear there are many people in our community in dire need of mental health services.

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Letter to the Editor: The high road - Summit Daily

I frequently hear comments about the shifting societal morals. Typically, it is in a negative sense. We have lost the important values. The America I grew up in (the 1950s and 1960s) were halcyon days of virtue and civility? This is a rearward-looking perspective (the past is better than today). Moreover, many who ascribe to this notion also believe that the future will continue the negative trend.

Are we disgruntled because we believe we have lost our footing? Or are we simply idealizing the past because we are uncomfortable with change and unwilling to accept the uncertainty of the future?

The underlying question is whether those values in which we believe are fixed or whether (like the Constitution), they can evolve and be understood correctly only within the context of the time in which they are applied. In other words, are they living (relative) values or absolutes? If there are absolute universal truths, what are they and from whence are they derived?

Our history is replete with standards of behavior relevant for their time but are ultimately cast asunder. A significant example is how the concept of honor has devolved. Honor includes both personal ethics and behavior, as well as a reflection of societal codes of conduct. It lies at the core of the hard choices people make. The importance of personal honor seems to be declining.

In the age of chivalry, a leader might be driven into a Quixotic (and suicidal) attack rather than suffer a perceived stain on their personal honor. Even as late as the 19th century, duels were fought over supposed slights. Today, the watch phrase seems to be discretion is the better part of honor. The depth of insult required to trigger such a response seems infinite. Is that a bad thing? Have we lost our bearings? Or simply come to our senses?

Relativism is the antithesis to absolutism. Today, it is most obviously demonstrated in politics. Our national leaders (on both sides) have undertaken activity or made outrageous proclamations that their supporters tolerate in their own man but rail against in the opposition. We justify our sides behavior not by acknowledging that it fits an objective standard (of ethics), rather that it is not as bad as the other guys. Somehow this has become acceptable even among those who otherwise lament the perceived shifting mores.

The evolving prevalent belief is secular humanism, a philosophy that embraces individual reason and worldly principles while specifically rejecting religious dogma. Ethics and moral principles are derived solely from human faculties such as logic, empathy or moral intuition, without divine revelation or guidance.

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In other words, right and wrong are derived from our own power of reason.

The differentiation between right and wrong is perhaps the most fundamental value. It is the basis for the biblical admonition, In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you But this is not simply a religious decree. We humans seem to have an innate sense of this. It is the basis of the Golden Rule. This seems about as universal a moral as we have. In fact, all other values are grounded in this single notion.

However, this creates a conundrum. In a state of nature, without some divine inspiration, why would we intrinsically believe this? While at some level, it protects us (primarily the weak), it also violates the evolutionary imperative of survival of the fittest. There are always occasions in which cheating will yield the best results. Often habitual cheating yields long-term prosperity. How many successful people from robber barons to oligarchs have followed this path? If this is the case, why would we not always look for such opportunities if there is no higher source for such beliefs?

I am torn. I do believe in universal truths, and I believe they are divinely inspired. However, I also believe that actions must be placed in context. The knight errant might also have owned a slave and oppressed the peasantry in addition to being honorable and faithful. I can reconcile such inconsistencies with my principles. While there may be fixed moral values, they play themselves out in a culture of flawed humans. A person may innately (or divinely) believe in the Golden Rule but be just as likely to accept an incorrect bill at a restaurant if it is in their favor (just a little white lie).

Our times have issues, but I do not believe that previous epochs were necessarily more virtuous. My happy youth in which we pledged allegiance to the flag was also a time of gross racial injustice. We are more egalitarian and tolerant than before, but we are also more self-absorbed and narcissistic (if its good for me, its good!).

We never have had, nor will we ever be perfect beings in an ideal society. All we can do is follow our own beliefs, with the understanding that we will fail, then try again.

Rather than simply critique the failings of others, perhaps we would be better served to acknowledge our own and let God sort things out.

Dave Clark is an entrepreneur and a former Kingsport alderman.

Continue reading here:

Are we less virtuous than we used to be? - Kingsport Times News

Shut up.

Thats the response, cleaned up for publication, that I got from students at the University of California Hastings College of Law when I tried to speak there on March 1. They prevented the event from taking place, chanting and banging as if it were Occupy Wall Street.

Although a student organization had booked a room and invited me to discuss a timely subject on which Id written a book the politics of judicial nominations a hecklers veto prevailed. Applying a bad-faith lens to a poorly phrased tweet in which I criticized President Bidens Supreme Court criteria, activists judged me a racist misogynist and my expertise illegitimate.

On Jan. 26, I tweeted that Judge Sri Srinivasan was the best candidate to replace Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court. I felt and still feel that Biden should have considered all possible nominees, rather focus solely on black female candidates. Given Twitters character limit, I in-artfully said that whomever the president picked would be a lesser black woman. Though I deleted the tweet and apologized, I was suspended from my position at Georgetowns Center for the Constitution pending an investigation into whether my social-media comments violated university policy. And now I wasnt even allowed to express my ideas on another campus.

My experience was no isolated incident not even for March 2022! The following week, a similar thing happened at Yale, ironically over a panel bringing together lawyers from the left and right who agreed on the importance of free speech. Then it happened again at the University of Michigan, when students obstructed a debate on Texas heartbeat bill. And thats just law schools; forget the craziness thats been going on for some time on undergraduate campuses!

The only thing these events had in common was that non-progressive speakers were presenting ideas that some students found objectionable, offensive, even repulsive. Weve gotten to a place where questioning affirmative action or abortion is outside the academic Overton window, the acceptable range of policy views. Its a damning indictment of the state of academia at a time when a toxic cloud has enveloped all of our public discourse.

But this problem isnt limited to ivory towers and leafy quads. The trend of canceling speakers rather than challenging them also represents the loss of grace in our culture more broadly, the desire to ascribe malign motives to ones political enemies and unwillingness to think of them as merely wrong, rather than evil.

Given the lefts control of the commanding heights of culture, education and technology, those expressing conservative views are much more frequently targeted by both online and real-world mobs and boycotts. But it happens to left-wingers too, like Whoopi Goldberg who was ignorant about the Holocaust, not anti-Semitic. Even worse, it happens to regular people whose meager donations to politically incorrect causes gets them doxed, boycotted, fired, or, in Canada, frozen out of their bank accounts.

Although this cancel culture is easy to diagnose, its hard to remedy. Too many people have lost sight of the golden rule of treating others as they want to be treated. Although often ascribed to the Bible, that principle predates Christianity and indeed needs not be tied to any faith. Still, as American society has secularized, politics has replaced religion to fill the spiritual needs that humans have had since time immemorial. In that context, its easy to see ones political opponents as heretics and then of course their sacrilege isnt worth hearing.

The problem goes far beyond academic freedom or speech on campus, worrying as developments in those areas are for the next generation especially young lawyers, wholl face much more challenging situations than bad tweets. How are we to continue as a nation if every policy disagreement is existential and every election a Manichean battle?

Two months ago, I jokingly tweeted at Whoopi that she and I ought to go on Joe Rogans podcast to hash stuff out. Indeed, Im willing to go anywhere, or on any media program Bill Maher might be good to debate constitutional law or the importance of civil discourse.

But itll take more than canceled professors and pundits to get us back to a place where we can disagree without wanting to ruin the lives of people with whom we have those disagreements. Itll take real courage from political leaders and cultural influencers to disrupt the current toxic moment.

Ilya Shapiro, author of Supreme Disorder: Judicial Nominations and the Politics of Americas Highest Court, is on still leave from his position as senior lecturer and executive director of Georgetowns Center for the Constitution as he awaits the result of the universitys investigation (now in its third month).

Link:

Canceled prof: Bad things shouldn't happen to people who post bad tweets - New York Post

Can't handle money

In regard to Mark Lowery, a Republican who wants to run for treasurer for the state of Arkansas: How does think he can handle being in charge of our money when he can't handle his own? He has declared bankruptcy twice, once in 1998 and again in 2017.

This man cannot handle his own money; I (we) should not let him touch our money!

MARY CAIN

Little Rock

Would rather be woke

When did the word "woke" become a slur on a person's character? All of my youth, I heard folks say, "Wake up!" Today, being called "woke" is the right's way to show disdain for those who are educated, engaged, and open to learning new and sometimes uncomfortable truths.

You are "woke" if you support voting rights for all. You are "woke" if you cherish democracy over autocracy. You are "woke" if you think programs helping people in need today can actually help the economy both today and in future years when those helped become better able to contribute to society. You are "woke" if you analyze media sources and find that the ones often called "fake news" by the former president are generally far more accurate than his preferred propaganda purveyors. You are "woke" if you think that if Black children have withstood adverse situations, white kids should at least be able to deal with learning about those experiences.

You are "woke" if you see that the very book that most book-banners would never agree to ban--the Bible--has multiple descriptions of highly triggering and hateful experiences that make "To Kill a Mockingbird" or "Huckleberry Finn" seem pretty tame. Apparently, you are "woke" if you see nuance in all three of these books that provide teachable moments despite the parts that disturb you. And you are "woke" if you understand that a girl or woman can have myriad legitimate reasons for making decisions that strangers think she should have no right to make.

I am infinitely grateful for the privilege I have had to strive toward "wokeness." Thank goodness for lifelong educational opportunities, for enlightening travel, and for friends and family who are also awake (or in the words of the disdainful right, "woke").

MARY REMMEL WOHLLEB

Little Rock

Put funds to good use

It is my understanding that Arkansas has an excess of several million in our rainy-day fund. I was thinking this would be an opportune time to use some of that money as seed money for someone or some Arkansas company to start a commercial fertilizer plant.

With the war in Ukraine, it has been publicized that U.S. farmers are concerned about getting fertilizer for their crops, and probably other countries are as well. It seems to me that entrepreneurs in Arkansas, with the state's help, could solve that problem for our farmers and maybe the world.

Just think of the job opportunities it would create along with solving the food-supply problem that the president has mentioned on several occasions.

DARLA MARTIN

Mountain Home

Strategy for the left

The best way to stop the so-called Republicanism that John Brummett spoke about in Thursday's column is to help the Democrat Party return as a viable entity and destroy the leftist Democrat Party that has killed the moderate Democrat.

I would rather have a nationalist Republican than a Marxist Democrat. People are smart; they know.

THOMAS J. ALSTON

Texarkana

Social media break

I frequently read Mike Masterson's columns and appreciate his GodNods and references to the Golden Rule. I sometimes feel, however, that his sources cultivate more animosity than brotherly love.

After reading Mike's piece in Tuesday's ADG, I've got a pretty good perspective on where he mines his off-the-wall column ideas. He is a social media guy. The fact that he stayed long enough to almost get duped by a Facebook bottom-feeder tells me Mike's spending way too much time in front of a computer screen.

Social media is for entertainment. Period.

If you're really looking for facts or accurate political information, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and cable news are a waste of your time. If you want to learn how to raise healthy tomatoes or watch pet tricks, you're in the right place.

WADE GREEN

Camden

Can we trust them?

Just how do we (the citizens) of the United States know the money (millions and billions) that we have been told was going to help a foreign country actually did? How is it delivered and how do we know the exact amount we told them we were sending was what was delivered? It would be easy to take a couple million for themselves, personal benefit.

With all the lying in Washington, it's hard to trust anyone in the federal government.

ROBERT MAYNARD

Hot Springs

If it were about Hitler

I wonder how drastic a gaffe it would have been had a world leader in 1939, regarding Adolf Hitler's invasion of Poland, said: "For God's sake, this man cannot stay in power."

JOSEPH LOMBARDI

Greenbrier

Heading for doom?

If most of the voters of Arkansas choose to follow the devil, does that make it any less fatal to jump off that cliff?

CHARLIE BISHOP

Mabelvale

Read this article:

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Can't handle money | Would rather be woke | Put funds to good use - Arkansas Online

Spring is the time of plans and projects. This quote by Leo Tolstoy sort of defines the season for most of us. We cant wait for spring so that we can put our projects in play. You know what Im talking about. The new flower bed, the painting project, the building, renovations, and constructionall those ideas that took root during the cold, dreary winter months. We are ready to begin!

Clearly, Im still in spring cleaning/decluttering mode. More in thought than in doing I will admit. I began by turning my house over. Not literally, of course. But I watch the weather forecasts waiting for the temperatures to warm and then I begin to change the inside of our house to match the warmer outdoor elements. I switch out the heavy bedding for the lightweight quilts. The whole house gets a small makeover with brighter dcor, different throws, and pillowslight and airy is the transition. And of course, theres always those projects that need attention. Like the garage sale that needs to happen. Think of all those things that just accumulate and take up space. Time for a change. You know the saying . . . one mans trash is another mans treasure. But most of the things that I need to be rid of are not trash at all. In fact, they are more like treasures. Thus, the reason Ive held onto them. But having downsized twice now, Tom and I have limited storage space, so I have to get tough-minded about this.

During the earlier downsizing period, it was hard to discard items at first. You have to have a certain mindset to do this. First, realize that its only stuff. Sure, it represents some period of time for you, most likely a happy phase in your life. When your children were growing up, when your career was underway, when life was busy. I began by passing on to each of our sons their stuff. That took care of some volume. When we downsized and moved to a smaller residence, I vowed that each time I brought something into the home, Id also have to get rid of something. That didnt last long. It always seemed to be inconvenient to have to decide what to get rid of an item, and then decide where does it go. I dont like to just toss something in the trash if it still has a purpose and is in decent shape. Clearly, I overthink things. Thats where you must be tough minded. Just do it, and move on.

I recall having a garage sale when Tom approached me and said hed like to buy back a dresser because our son Jeff was upset that it was being sold. I pointed out the obvious to him that if he bought the dresser that it would still be in our attic AND there would be no profit from the sale. Yes, the dresser remained in the attic and lived there until another garage sale.

I read that the golden rule of getting organized is thatinventory must conform to storage. Makes sense. It is a matter of having a plan. And that plan has to start with a commitment to getting things done quickly. Im certainly not a professional organizer, but I know this much. The more quickly you go about the decluttering process, the more effective you will be. Think about the items you know you dont need and wont keep. Start with the larger items and before you know it, you will be in a zone. It will be a liberating experience. And dont forget the junk drawer. In fact, I would suggest you start with the junk drawer. It will be your blueprint for the remaining process. Good luck with your spring projects!

Bonnie Brown writes a weekly column for The Oxford Eagle. Contact her at bbrown@olemiss.edu.

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Spring: time for plans, projects and pollen - The Oxford Eagle - Oxford Eagle

Crack! The solids and stripes scatter across the table in all directions.

Ed Gill is shooting pool, and his opening breaks for 8-ball and 9-ball games are as strong and as accurate as those of many of his competitors, who are one, two and even three generations younger.

So are his long shots from the far end of the table; his bank shots, where the cue ball has to hit several sides, or rails, of the table before hitting the object ball; and side pocket shots that can be tricky.

He keeps score when his team captain says they need an extra hand.

All of this is a normal part of shooting pool on any night atPoppa Gs Billiardsin Pelham.

What truly sets Gill apart from the 60-80 nightly pool players is that he is 96 years old.

Gill plays pool five nights a week and plays very well. He marks the winning pocket for the solid black 8 ball with a 1925 U.S. silver dollar The year I was born, he says. It was a gift from another pool player.

At 96, pool player and WWII vet Ed Gill is still in the game from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

He drives a Kia SUV from his Pelham residence to Poppas, where the staff graciously provides a designated parking place. Everyone else scrambles for parking.

With a ready grin and polished manners, Gill has become one of the favorites at Poppa Gs, frequently addressed as Mr. Ed. He began shooting pool there in 2014 and joined theAmerican Poolplayers Association, an international amateur league. He keeps track of his statistics on the APA app on his iPhone.

But Gill was not a novice pool player. He just took a 60-year hiatus. He began shooting pool in his early 20s, in the era iconized in black-and-white films from Hollywood.

There wasnt any organization for pool then. We just went to the pool hall, played until you got tired and went home, he says.

Gill stopped shooting pool in his late 20s at the request of his wife, Doris, because pool halls had a bad reputation. They married when Doris was 17 and Ed was 21.

During World War II, Gill enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served as a radio airman, which led to his 30 years as an air traffic controller, before retiring.

I dont advertise that I was in World War II, other than I wear a cap, Gill said. Fellow pool players at Poppa Gs always see him in his familiar U.S. Navy World War II veteran ballcap a one-of-a-kind piece of attire there.

I dont get any real questions about World War II from the younger generations because its so far back. Its been 75 years, probably 76 years now. Its so foreign to them.

When asked about his World War II service, he shows a reduced-sized photocopy of his discharge papers, along with original black-and-white photographs of him in a sailors uniform; a palm tree stands in the background, in Key West, Florida.

Look at that handsome man! exclaims Stephanie Derzis, when seeing Gills Navy photographs. He grins at the compliment about his younger self.

Gill returned to pool-playing at the suggestion of his daughter, Lisa Gill Casey, a year after Doris died in 2013. It would be something to keep him active at the age of 89.

He loves to play pool, win or lose, Casey says. He doesnt hold a grudge, she adds, although he never lets a girl beat him if he can help it. Even the pretty ones.

Casey and her father play together on two of his five teams.

Gills skills, honed decades earlier, are sharp. When he walks to the pool table to shoot, hes already decided on the angle, distance, speed of the shot and, in pool hall lingo, he makes pockets. Lots of them.

When I get up to the pool table, I know what Im going to do. Its in my head. I visualize how its going to go, Gill explains. But he adds with a grin, They dont always work like that.

I dont always execute like I want to, but I get it right more than I miss it, he says. Most nights Gill plays a minimum of one match each for 8-ball and 9-ball games. Recently, he played four matches in one evening to make up for an absent teammate, which is a lot to ask of any pool player, but Gill didnt seem to mind. He won a match in each category, resulting in a 2-2 record, something many pool players would like.

Gill is a courteous sportsman, whether he wins or loses, exchanging fist bumps or a quick hug. He likes to discuss his shots with teammates and keeps track of his winning, and losing, scores.

While the game of pool continues to be a ball-and-stick game with critical eye-hand skills, younger players today are a very different crowd from Gills early years.

I didnt see women playing pool until I came here, in 2014, he noted. My father-in-law got me started when he invited me to go with him to play pool in the 1940s, in Aberdeen, Mississippi.

Gill maintains a neat, trim appearance with belted khaki slacks, shined shoes, button-down shirts and a sports jacket, plus the Navy ballcap. His opponents often sport tattoos, facial piercings, torn jeans and T-shirts of all kinds.

APA pool players wait their turn to play over a recommended four-hour time frame. Gill says he doesnt like to sit too long between matches because that bothers one of his knees. He casually strolls around Poppa Gs, picking up conversations with friends along the way.

He, and they, show family photographs on their iPhones. Gill shows a photograph of Doris as a teenager when they met and a 25thwedding anniversary photograph on his Facebook page. They were married for 67 years.

In addition to daughter Casey, Gill has four grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren, all living within four miles of him and Poppa Gs. Hes an active member ofSouth Roebuck Baptist Church.

Gill knows its unusual for a 96-year-old to be playing pool several nights a week, but he doesnt think of himself as old.

I dont think I feel any older than when I was 70, he says. I dont feel like 96, the age that I am.

When Gill meets new people and they ask what he does, he says, I shoot pool five nights a week. They dont ask a lot of questions because most of them dont have a clue about what it takes to shoot pool. They have disbelief when I tell them how old I am.

Gills longevity invites inquiries from newcomers.

I expect questions because of my age, he says. Nothing stands out that Ive done to reach 96, except I trust God.

Gill may also have been blessed with good genes, with longevity running in his family. His older brother died in 2021 at the age of 96, while his mother lived to be 99 and his father died at age 84.

His one major health issue has been having both knees replaced in 2021. I didnt play pool for eight days after my right knee was replaced. He missed 12 days after the left knee.

His positive outlook, on the other hand, is irreplaceable. I want to be happy. I cant really remember being angry, he says.

Gills easy-going manner keeps him open to new faces and conversations. And, he says, I follow the Golden Rule he treats others as he would want to be treated.

Each year, the APA holds world championships for 8-ball and 9-ball pool in Las Vegas. Several teams from Alabama qualify to play, but any interested pool player can go there and watch. Gill hasnt gone as member of a qualifying team, but in 2018, Gill, Casey and her husband, Chris Casey, went to Las Vegas to watch the 8-ball championships.

I spent a week at the casino watching them shoot. I enjoyed it, Gill says. Maybe one day Ill go officially.

Meg McKinney is a freelance photographer,https://megmckinneyphotos.com, and a member of the American Poolplayers Association. She has competed against Ed Gill, and won and lost matches. To learn more about Birmingham APA, visithere.

(Courtesy of Alabama NewsCenter)

Visit link:

Alabama pool player Ed Gill is 96 years young and still going strong - Yellowhammer News

Image source: Getty Images

Musk owns Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin -- and he's not selling.

It may come as a surprise to learn that Elon Musk -- a prolific crypto presence on social media -- is somewhat lukewarm on Bitcoin (BTC). To be clear, Musk does own Bitcoin, along with Ethereum (ETH), and his pet coin, Dogecoin (DOGE). But he's not as bullish about the granddaddy of cryptos as some might expect.

Let's dive into Musk's biggest concern -- the environment -- first, before looking at what the well known billionaire thinks of Bitcoin.

Musk's main concern about Bitcoin is its high carbon footprint. Bitcoin uses about the same amount of electricity as a country the size of Thailand each year, according to Digiconomist. Given he is the CEO of Tesla, an electric vehicle company that says its mission is to accelerate the worlds transition to sustainable energy, it's an understandable point.

Tesla owns a decent chunk of Bitcoin and its decision to accept BTC payments in February 2021 was one driver for the crypto's huge growth in the first half of 2021. In a similar vein, Tesla's subsequent decision to stop taking Bitcoin payments was a big factor in May's crypto slump. Since then, Musk has hinted that Tesla might start accepting Bitcoin payments again, but only if there's evidence that half of the mining is powered by renewables.

What's slightly strange in all this is that Dogecoin uses the same widely-criticized proof-of-work mining model that's so damaging to the environment. As it's grown, so has its environmental footprint -- its annual energy consumption is roughly the same as Honduras.

Putting the environment to one side, Musk told the B Word Conference last summer that Bitcoin could potentially change the way we use money. "In general, I'm a supporter of Bitcoin and the idea of cryptocurrency in general," he said.

Our top crypto play isn't a token - Heres why

Weve found one company thats positioned itself perfectly as a long-term picks-and-shovels solution for the broader crypto market Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and all the others. In fact, you've probably used this company's technology in the past few days, even if you've never had an account or even heard of the company before. That's how prevalent it's become.

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"It's best to think of money as an information system," he explained. That information exists in a series of databases, such as those in banks around the world. Musk points out that, with a few exceptions, the current system moves relatively slowly. Plus, he says in many cases it is not very secure. As a result, Musk thinks there is potential for a better system. "I think it makes sense to support something that improves the quality of information with which we conduct the economy."

"Bitcoin is a candidate," he said. It stands out because of its scarcity, decentralized nature, and open ledger technology. But Musk also raised the low transaction volume and high costs as issues that could hold it back. Plus, he pointed out the average person will find it difficult to use.

In terms of Bitcoin as an investment, Musk has stressed several times that he's not an investor. Nonetheless, he recently tweeted that at times of high inflation such as the one we face right now, it is better to own physical assets like property or stocks.

"It is generally better to own physical things like a home or stock in companies you think make good products, than dollars when inflation is high," he tweeted. "I still own & wont sell my Bitcoin, Ethereum or Doge fwiw."

Bitcoin is the most-established cryptocurrency and many argue it's the "safest" in what is a high-risk asset class. As such, it's well positioned to survive a prolonged market crash and -- as Musk points out -- potentially change the way we use money. However, this is a relatively new and unregulated market and there's a lot we don't know about how it will evolve.

READ MORE: Best Crypto Apps and Exchanges

One golden rule is to only invest money you can afford to lose in Bitcoin. That way, you'll be able to benefit from any gains without facing financial disaster if it collapses. Before you invest, stock up your emergency fund and make sure you're up to date on things like your retirement savings. Don't prioritize crypto over your other financial goals.

When you see headlines about people who've become Bitcoin billionaires, it is tempting to go all in. Instead, try to make sure high-risk assets like crypto only represent a small percentage of your overall investments. Financial advisors increasingly recognize that Bitcoin can play a role in a balanced portfolio, but the key is balance.

Ultimately, the decision to invest in Bitcoin depends on several factors. These include your financial situation and your views on how Bitcoin might perform in the long term. And don't take Elon Musk's word about crypto -- or any other commentators for that matter. Do your own research into what Bitcoin might do, what the risks are, and how blockchain technology might evolve.

There are hundreds of platforms around the world that are waiting to give you access to thousands of cryptocurrencies. And to find the one that's right for you, you'll need to decide what features that matter most to you.

To help you get started, our independent experts have sifted through the options to bring you some ofour best cryptocurrency exchanges for 2022. Check out the list here and get started on your crypto journey, today.

Read more:

Should You Invest in Bitcoin? Here's What Elon Musk Thinks - The Motley Fool

Analysing UK macroeconomic policy rules and their operation unearths numerous dimensions of the politics of technocratic fiscal policy-making, writes Ben Clift. Firstly, policy rules are marshalled for partisan purposes. Secondly, a politics of economic ideas surrounds the invention, revision, and interpretation of fiscal rules. Thirdly, technocratic economic governance entails selecting methodological approaches necessarily built on particular political economic assumptions. Finally, politicians cook the books to present their economic record favourably against fiscal yardsticks,thus there is an inevitable politics of technocratic economic governance.

Technocratic governance has become a pervasive feature of economic management in advanced democracies. My research explores a yawning gap between the theory and the practice of technocratic economic governance. The real world of fiscal rules is more political and social than conventional accounts admit. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, governments introduced fiscal policy rules to reassure electorates and financial markets that they were sound custodians of the public finances. Such depoliticisation supposedly took fiscal policy away from fractious parliamentary politics, moving it towards the realms of technical administration.

Some academic work discusses fiscal rules as if they are sacrosanct and unchanging. Yet state managers exhibit powerful desires to escape these constraints, with fiscal rules repeatedly flouted and frequently changed. Economic policymakers have an apparent compulsion to hem themselves in, yet this is tethered to a more powerful impulse to escape these self-imposed shackles. Analysing the creation, revision, and transgression of these rules illustrates how they are embedded in distinctive, yet overlapping, forms of politics.

The (partisan) politics of economic ideas

Despite their apolitical appearance, fiscal rules are frequently marshalled for partisan purposes that reveal the particular economic ideas surrounding their invention, revision, and interpretation. Following its election in 1997, the Labour government introduced fiscal rules to bolster the partys economic credibility. Chancellor Gordon Brown adopted a Golden Rule specifying that, over the business cycle, the government would borrow only to invest, not to fund current spending.

The aim was to demonstrate Labours fiscal prudence, while simultaneously addressing historical UK under-investment. Indeed, they were underpinned by a particular vision of political economy: Paul Romers new growth agenda. This emphasised a wide-ranging role for the state in providing technological, infrastructural, and human capital investment. They therefore embodied a critique of prior Conservative economic management, which had engineered a dramatic reduction in public investment over the preceding decades.

Although Labours rules supposedly enshrined fiscal prudence, their observance was at times only sustained by moving the goalposts. Nevertheless, iron Chancellor Browns construction of economic credibility appeared to pay dividends, enabling Labour government to boost health and education spending without increasing borrowing costs. The Global Financial Crisis and the arrival in 2010 of the Coalition and Conservative governments, upended this positive impression. Rebranding the crash Labours debt crisis, the Conservatives claimed Labours profligate mismanagement left the country facing a Greek-style crisis. Cameron and Osborne pivoted to an austerity-centric economic orthodoxy, urging Britain to live within its means. Harsh public spending cuts ensued; new tougher fiscal rules were introduced. The newly created Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) sought to ensure prudence through independent fiscal oversight.

The Coalitions economic analysis made bold assumptions about debts adverse effects on future growth, and accordingly prioritised spending cuts. This position reflected the expansionary fiscal contraction thesis, counterintuitively arguing that reducing public expenditure amidst a recession was necessary for restoring economic health. These ideas permeated George Osbornes tough new fiscal rules, endorsing the pursuit of a structural budget surplus and reducing public debt relative to GDP.

The politics of numbers and politics of method

Despite technocratic aspirations to move fiscal policy into a depoliticised administrative realm, rules-based fiscal policy remains enmeshed in a politics of numbers (statistical book-cooking to meet numerical targets), and a politics of economic method (manipulating parameters of economic models). Part of Chancellor Osbornes rationale for creating the OBR was an ostensible desire to curtail these political shenanigans by delegating fiscal oversight to an external expert institution. Here, Osborne was again critical of Labours record. In 2005, Brown had re-interpreted his fiscal rules, altering the economic cycles start from 1997 to 1999, despite much evidence suggesting otherwise. This change enabled Brown to claim his Golden Rule had been met.

For all Osbornes critique of Labour book-cooking, Conservative Chancellors were unrelenting in their own fiscal manipulations. The OBR consistently noted the scorecard artistry of Osbornes Treasury. Spending commitments were manoeuvred into following years (as with World Bank payments in 2013) in order that, within specified forecast periods, fiscal targets were notionally hit.

The OBR, its independent overseer status notwithstanding, was no less embedded in the politics of fiscal policy. Its creation by the Conservatives in opposition, and imbrication in partisan fiscal tussles over Labours alleged profligacy, gives the lie to outsourced, technocratic economic governance being apolitical. Furthermore, while its creation circumscribed the governmental politics of economic method, ruling out some of the old shenanigans (such as massaging trend growth rates), a politics of economic method persisted within the OBRs own fiscal modelling. This did not operate to portray UK fiscal policy systematically in a more or less favourable light, nevertheless OBR staff attest to the degree of judgement, intuition and tacit knowledge involved in conducting economic forecasting and oversight.

The OBR like other independent fiscal institutions must grapple with slippery, non-observable economic concepts that are very hard to gauge. Measures of potential output, the output gap (the degree of slack available in the economy) and potential productivity are integral to medium-term economic forecasting and the enactment of fiscal rules. No agreed approach exists for discerning these with practitioners acknowledging methodological choices can be somewhat arbitrary. Techniques can reflect differing and contestable views of the economy. A statistical filters approach one amongst many available alternatives for determining the output gap assumes, for example, that an economy tends promptly towards equilibrium, thus yielding a distinctive growth path. In this way, different understandings of the economy and policy underpin apparently technical choices. This reveals the persistent and consequential politics of economic method underlying fiscal rules regimes and technocratic fiscal governance.

Conclusion

Fiscal rules and their enactment reflect dominant but changeable ideas of sound fiscal policy and the influence of partisan political concerns. Governments frequently use rules regimes to participate in the social construction of economic credibility, often to denigrate opponents. They breach or change rules, or engage in book-cooking shenanigans to secure an observance of the rules that is somewhat illusory. Forecasting methods and techniques, whilst presentedin technical and formalistic manner, alsoconstitute keysiteswhere choices made can reflect different economic worldviews distilled in economic modelling assumptions. Far from taking the politics out of fiscal policy, the advent of fiscal rules and the OBR engenders new forms of contested fiscal politics and elite statecraft. This politics may be hidden, but remains burgeoningly present.

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Note: the above draws on the authors published work in British Politics.

About the Author

Ben Cliftis Professor of Political Economy at the University of Warwick.

Photo by micheile .com on Unsplash.

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Technocratic economic governance is a much more social and political process than many advocates of economic rules-based policy acknowledge - British...